Design for emergence: experiments with a mixed reality urban playground game

In this paper we present our work in the design of ubiquitous social experiences, aiming to foster group participation and spontaneous playful behaviours in a city environment. We outline our approach of design for emergence: to provide just enough of a game context and challenge for people to be creative, to extend and enrich the experience of play through their interaction in the real world. CitiTag is our mixed reality testbed, a wireless location-based multiplayer game based on the concept of playground ‘tag’. We describe the design and implementation of CitiTag and discuss results from two user studies.     

智能手机的移动增强现实技术研究

随着增强现实技术的快速发展以及智能手机技术的革新,移动增强现实(M-AR)技术得以脱离体积庞大的PC机设备的限制,使其向户外和无线化发展成为可能,并由此推动了增强现实技术在智能手机上的应用。针对智能手机的移动增强现实技术在应用发展中所要解决的问题,进行了分析和探讨,较为系统地阐述了该领域最新的发展状况,并展望了该技术未来的发展前景。     

Virtual Bounds: a teleoperated mixed reality

This paper introduces a mixed reality workspace that allows users to combine physical and computer-generated artifacts, and to control and simulate them within one fused world. All interactions are captured, monitored, modeled and represented with pseudo-real world physics. The objective of the presented research is to create a novel system in which the virtual and physical world would have a symbiotic relationship. In this type of system, virtual objects can impose forces on the physical world and physical world objects can impose forces on the virtual world. Virtual Bounds is an exploratory study allowing a physical probe to navigate a virtual world while observing constraints, forces, and interactions from both worlds. This scenario provides the user with the ability to create a virtual environment and to learn to operate real-life probes through its virtual terrain.     

基于J2ME的手机游戏开发

论文着眼于J2ME技术的应用,开发一款嵌入手机的赛车游戏,在J2ME的相关技术下完成作品的整体构思,分析并设计了游戏结构,实现了整套游戏的开发。最终游戏能以亲切的欢迎画面把用户带入动感、逼真的赛车中,自由方便的控制可以使用户在高速路上所向无敌,一路飙升,帮助用户真正体验F1赛车。     

Robust detection and tracking of annotations for outdoor augmented reality browsing

A common goal of outdoor augmented reality (AR) is the presentation of annotations that are registered to anchor points in the real world. We present an enhanced approach for registering and tracking such anchor points, which is suitable for current generation mobile phones and can also successfully deal with the wide variety of viewing conditions encountered in real life outdoor use. The approach is based on on-the-fly generation of panoramic images by sweeping the camera over the scene. The panoramas are then used for stable orientation tracking, while the user is performing only rotational movements. This basic approach is improved by several new techniques for the re-detection and tracking of anchor points. For the re-detection, specifically after temporal variations, we first compute a panoramic image with extended dynamic range, which can better represent varying illumination conditions. The panorama is then searched for known anchor points, while orientation tracking continues uninterrupted. We then use information from an internal orientation sensor to prime an active search scheme for the anchor points, which improves matching results. Finally, global consistency is enhanced by statistical estimation of a global rotation that minimizes the overall position error of anchor points when transforming them from the source panorama in which they were created, to the current view represented by a new panorama. Once the anchor points are redetected, we track the user's movement using a novel 3-degree-of-freedom orientation tracking approach that combines vision tracking with the absolute orientation from inertial and magnetic sensors. We tested our system using an AR campus guide as an example application and provide detailed results for our approach using an off-the-shelf smartphone. Results show that the re-detection rate is improved by a factor of 2 compared to previous work and reaches almost 90% for a wide variety of test cases while still keeping the ability to run at interactive frame rates.     

Storing user experiences in mixed reality using hypermedia

This paper describes HyperMem, a system to store and replay user experiences in mixed environments. The experience is stored as a set of hypermedia nodes and links, with the information that was displayed along with the video of the real world that was navigated. It uses a generic hypermedia model, implemented as software components, to handle mixed reality environments. This model includes components for storing and replaying experiences and integrating them in the overall set of hypermedia graphs that can be accessed by a given user. The paper presents the goals of the system, the underlying hypermedia model, the application scenarios, and the architecture and tools for replaying and repurposing stored information.     

Presence and interaction in mixed reality environments

In this paper, we present a simple and robust mixed reality (MR) framework that allows for real-time interaction with virtual humans in mixed reality environments under consistent illumination. We will look at three crucial parts of this system: interaction, animation and global illumination of virtual humans for an integrated and enhanced presence. The interaction system comprises of a dialogue module, which is interfaced with a speech recognition and synthesis system. Next to speech output, the dialogue system generates face and body motions, which are in turn managed by the virtual human animation layer. Our fast animation engine can handle various types of motions, such as normal key-frame animations, or motions that are generated on-the-fly by adapting previously recorded clips. Real-time idle motions are an example of the latter category. All these different motions are generated and blended on-line, resulting in a flexible and realistic animation. Our robust rendering method operates in accordance with the previous animation layer, based on an extended for virtual humans precomputed radiance transfer (PRT) illumination model, resulting in a realistic rendition of such interactive virtual characters in mixed reality environments. Finally, we present a scenario that illustrates the interplay and application of our methods, glued under a unique framework for presence and interaction in MR.     

A mixed methods assessment of students' flow experiences during a mobile augmented reality science game

Current studies have reported that secondary students are highly engaged while playing mobile augmented reality (AR) learning games. Some researchers have posited that players' engagement may indicate a flow experience, but no research results have confirmed this hypothesis with vision‐based AR learning games. This study investigated factors related to students' engagement – as characterized by flow theory – during a collaborative AR, forensic science mystery game using mobile devices. School Scene Investigators: The Case of the Stolen Score Sheets is a vision‐based AR game played inside the school environment with Quick Response codes. A mixed methods approach was employed with 68 urban middle school students. Data sources included pre‐ and post‐surveys, field observations and group interviews. Results showed that neither gender nor interest in science was an important predictor of variability in flow experience. Gaming attitude uniquely predicted 23% of the variance in flow experience. Student flow experience features included a flash of intensity, a sense of discovery and the desire for higher performance. The findings demonstrated a potential for mobile AR science games to increase science interest and help students learn collaboration skills. Implications for future research concerning mobile AR science games are discussed.     

Age invaders: social and physical inter-generational mixed reality family entertainment

Age invaders (AI), is a novel interactive intergeneration social-physical game which allows the elderly to play harmoniously together with children in the physical space, while parents can participate in the game play in real time remotely in the virtual world through the internet. Traditional digital games are designed for the young where normally the player sits in front of a computer or game console. Unlike standard computer games, age invaders brings the game play to a physical platform, and requires and encourages physical body movements rather than constraining the user in front of a computer for many hours. Age invaders is an interactive social-physical family digital game designed specially for a harmonious game play between the elderly and young. Adjusting game properties automatically compensates for potential elderly disadvantages, for example slower reaction time and slow movement.     

Interactive mixed reality white cane simulation for the training of the blind and the visually impaired

This paper presents a mixed reality tool developed for the training of the visually impaired based on haptic and auditory feedback. The proposed approach focuses on the development of a highly interactive and extensible Haptic Mixed Reality training system that allows visually impaired to navigate into real size Virtual Reality environments. The system is based on the use of the CyberGrasp™ haptic device. An efficient collision detection algorithm based on superquadrics is also integrated into the system so as to allow real time collision detection in complex environments. A set of evaluation tests is designed in order to identify the importance of haptic, auditory and multimodal feedback and to compare the MR cane against the existing Virtual Reality cane simulation system.     

Mobile augmented reality based context-aware library management system

Mobile augmented reality has gained popularity in recent years due to the technological advances of smartphones and other mobile devices. One particular area in which mobile augmented reality is being used is library management. However, current mobile augmented reality solutions in this domain are lacking in context-awareness. It has been suggested in the literature that agent programming may be suitable at overcoming this problem, but little research has been conducted using modern mobile augmented reality applications with agents. This paper aims to bridge this gap through the development of an agent-based, mobile augmented reality prototype, titled Libagent. Libagent was subjected to five experiments to determine its suitability, efficiency, and accuracy for library management. The results of these experiments indicate that agent-based mobile augmented reality is a promising tool for context-aware library management.     

A method of creating a transparent space based on mixed reality

In this article, we propose a novel idea to create a transparent space. Accidents often happen when a person, a motorcycle, a car, etc., comes out suddenly from a blind corner. In such a place, if the shielding objects become transparent, hidden objects reveal themselves. This may contribute to preventing a lot of accidents. The proposed method creates a transparent space by the employment of a mixed-reality technique and a simple three-dimensional (3-D) recovery technique. The 3-D virtual space is created by a single camera image in real-time, and it is superposed onto a real space employing see-through vision. The observer can watch a dynamic scene of the invisible space through the object in real-time. In the experiment performed, an observer could watch persons walking around in a space hidden by an opaque partition. Future application of this technique may include its installation at various corners in buildings or at intersections on roads with bad visibility. This would surely contribute to reducing traffic accidents in future. This work was presented in part at the 11th International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, January 23–25, 2006     

An alternate reality game for language learning: ARGuing for multilingual motivation

Over the last decade, Alternate Reality Games (ARGs), a form of narrative often involving multiple media and gaming elements to tell a story that might be affected by participants’ actions, have been used in the marketing and promotion of a number of entertainment related products such as films, computer games and music. This paper discusses the design, development and evaluation of an ARG aimed at increasing the motivations of secondary school level students across Europe in the learning of modern foreign languages. The ARG was developed and implemented as part of a European Commission Comenius project and involved 6 project partners, 328 secondary school students and 95 language teachers from 17 European countries. The collaborative nature of ARGs provides a potentially useful vehicle for developing collaborative activities within an educational context. This paper describes the educational value of ARGs, in particular the ARG for supporting the teaching of modern European languages and the specific activities that were developed around Web 2.0 and gaming that underpinned the ARG and helped promote cooperation and learning within an educational environment. An evaluation of the ARG was conducted using an experimental design of pre-test → ARG intervention → post-test. 105 students completed the pre-test, 92 students completed the post-test and 45 students completed both the pre-test and post-test questionnaires. In general, student attitudes towards the ARG were very positive with evidence suggesting that the ARG managed to deliver the motivational experience expected by the students. The majority of students who completed the post-test either agreed or strongly agreed that they would be willing to play the game over a prolonged period of time as part of a foreign language course. In addition, through using the ARG, students believed that they obtained skills relating to cooperation, collaboration and teamwork.     

Interactive theatre via mixed reality and Ambient Intelligence

Our system of Mixed Reality and 3D Live with Ambient Intelligence (AmI) is indented to bring performance art to the people while offering to the performance artists a creative tool to extend the grammar of the traditional theatre. Actors and dancers at different places are captured by multiple cameras and their images are rendered in 3D form in such a way that they can play and dance together on the same place in real-time. Our Quanticum Man is an allegory of the time of the General Relativity and the matter of the Quantum Mechanics. The new type of interactive theatre enables social networking by supporting simultaneous participants in human-to-human social manner.     

Treating cockroach phobia using a serious game on a mobile phone and augmented reality exposure: A single case study

In vivo exposure has proved its efficacy in the treatment of specific phobias; however, not all patients benefit from it. Communication and information technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) have improved exposure treatment adherence and acceptance. Serious games (SG) could also be used in order to facilitate exposure treatment. A line of research on SG is emerging which focuses on health issues. We have developed a SG for the treatment of cockroach phobia that uses a mobile phone as the application device. This work examines results of an N = 1 study about whether the use of this mobile game can facilitate treatment of this specific phobia preparing her for the AR exposure. A 25-year-old woman with cockroach phobia participated in the study. Results showed that the use of the mobile game reduced her level of fear and avoidance before a “one-session” AR exposure treatment was applied, following the guidelines by Öst. The participant found very helpful the use of the SG before the AR exposure session and she was willing to use it after the AR exposure session as a homework assignment. Although the results of this study are preliminary, SG appears to be a line of research of high interest in clinical psychology for the treatment of specific phobias.     

Personalised e-learning through an educational virtual reality game using Web services

This paper describes how a personalised educational game architecture has been used in conjunction with Web services to provide remote access to the system. The educational game is a virtual reality adventure game that performs affective user modelling by measuring emotional characteristics of users. Virtual reality (VR) games are so popular among children and adolescents that can be used for the purposes of educational software to render it more attractive and motivating. The benefits of such an application can be maximised if it is available over the Web. Software applications that operate over the Web are targeted to a wide range of users. Hence they need a high degree of adaptivity and dynamic individualisation to each user that interacts with the application. This should include the students’ emotional state that affects their learning. However, the environment of a Web-based VR-game that performs user modelling is so demanding that the technology of Web services is necessary for its effective operation and interoperability. Moreover, reusability may be achieved for the user modelling component.

Mobile phones and driving: a review of contemporary research

This study reviews research on the effects of using a mobile phone when driving. First, it is should be pointed out that the availability of a mobile phone in a car is of great value, for example, in emergencies and accidents. However, the results from the research covered in this review show that using a mobile phone in a car while driving impairs driving performance significantly. To exemplify, a drivers attention to traffic and traffic information is impaired and the control of the car becomes less precise and smooth when talking over a phone. The conversation in itself impairs attention and manoeuvring performance as well as the motor activities needed for phoning. Based on the research available, the present review gives numerical estimates of the disturbing effects of different aspects of mobile phoning on driving performance. Contrary to what people assume, hand-held phones have not been shown to impair driving quality more than hands free phones. Instead, in contrast to public opinion, the content of a conversation is most important in determining the degree of distraction; complex conversations disturb driving much more than simple conversations. Analyses of accidents have shown that the impairment of driving while phoning leads to an increased risk of having an accident for both hand-held and hands free mobile telephones.     

Toc‐Tum mini‐games: An educational game accessible for deaf culture based on virtual reality

Human hearing is an important sense, which complements the other senses, and is essential for children to begin to acquire basic concepts of the world; however, in severe cases of disability, children become marginalized from these benefits. An example of this is with music, a deaf individual is to be able to perceive it. With this in mind, we developed a novel medical expert system based on virtual reality, called Toc‐Tum mini‐games, applying basic concepts of music in an accessible way to the deaf culture. The intelligent proposed system is validated in two different tests: (a) with the target audience to evaluate the interest in the game and (b) with professionals knowledgeable in the field of music or who have had contact with the deaf, evaluate the impact of the game teaching music to the deaf. The tests with the target audience showed that the methods of interaction allowed the children to understand most of the stages and that they were animated during the test days. Regarding the professionals, they were interested in the possibility of using the proposed system in question, even if some modifications in the design had to be made. The results showed that the Toc‐Tum mini‐games is an intelligent tool capable of introducing music in a playful and manageable way using a virtual environment.     

基于J2ME的手机智力游戏的研究与开发

J2ME作为Java技术专为消费嵌入式系统定制的版本,其稳定性、跨平台性、安全性、扩展性使得成为移动通讯设备上主流开发平台,基于J2ME的应用开发成为热点。该文介绍了笔者参与开发的一个基于J2ME的手机智力游戏的设计与开发。是对手机上基于J2ME的开发的一次有效探索。经过试验证明,程序在大多数手机上运行良好。